Stack Stories!
The following was written by student worker, Wilder Myslivy, who has been working diligently on surveying our rare book collections. Wilder picked out and described three of his favorite books below. He pictured some beauties as well!
These three books are selected from the Seymour Library’s Special Collections and Archives. They are all from the Finley Collection, a collection of books and maps related to the history and romance of the Old Northwest Territory. These three were selected because they showcase a variety of different book cover decorations. One is marbled, one is embossed, and one is both embossed and painted.
The earliest-published book shown here is the American Gazetteer. This book was published in 1798. This particular copy is the 2nd edition. It was written by Jedidiah Morse and printed in Boston, New England. This book’s cover is marbled with bold, bright colors. The edges of the pages are painted gold, and the leather spine is embossed with gold detailing. The pages are sewn in with thread. Everything about this binding is intricate and detailed. It’s 223 years old and still in perfect shape.
Lyell’s Travels in the United States, Second Visit was published in 1849. The cover is made with cloth, which was a common material in book publishing by the 1840’s. It features embossing in the shape of an ornately decorated frame across the cover. In the center of this frame, the text reads “Harper and Brothers, New-York.” This book’s pages are sewn in with thread. The back pages offer a “Book List of the Present Season”. It was published by Harper and Brothers, now called HarperCollins. There’s some damage to the spine, but the book has kept in good shape despite 172 years of use.
The last book shown here is A Trip to America, by W.M. Hardman. It was published in 1884. The front cover is embossed and painted with black paint, while the back cover features simple embossing. The front cover and the spine both use geometric and floral designs, as well as decorative text. The back cover is embossed in the shapes of a bouquet of flowers and leaves without color. This book was printed in London by T Vickers Wood. This book is the most modern of the books featured in this post at 137 years old.
-Wilder ‘24
Finley Collection E14 .M84 1798, E165 .L986 V. II, E168 .H23
https://www.encyclopedia.com/history/culture-magazines/harper-brothers
https://rbscp.lib.rochester.edu/3342















